


Would You Like Fries With That?

by AnxiousOwl



Series: Fun, Fluffy Fics You Never Knew You Needed [3]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Burger Joint AU, Charles Is a Big Dorkface, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Ultimate Texas Ranch Experience Meal, innuendos....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 11:03:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousOwl/pseuds/AnxiousOwl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik is nearing the end of his shift at Munch’N’Gulp.</p><p>Charles is a very indecisive customer with a sneaky ulterior motive.</p><p>Snark, innuendos and flirting abound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Would You Like Fries With That?

**Author's Note:**

> Charles and Erik share a minor class in Biological Engineering and Charles is immediately smitten, resulting in awkward flirting at a burger joint of course.
> 
> The amazing branding is all by me.

“…How about th- no, beef hasn’t been agreeing with me recently, no…” He continued to scan the luminous boards up above the cash registers.

“Errr…. maybe I’ll get the uh…. fish burger? No, no, can’t be sure of the sustainability of the fishing methods, now can we?” he chuckled, half serious.

Erik waited. It had been a slow day but was picking up slowly now that the afternoon rush was beginning. This included families with whining kids who just _had_ to get the Kiddo Meal for the free toy (which _of course_ wasn’t free, what are these people, imbeciles? The price of the toy is already incorporated into the trade deal and even without the toy the meal costs far more to buy than it does to produce, so they’re wasting money either way).

Next on the list is teenagers. Usually they’re a mixed bag, some buy/eat/leave, whereas some will haggle/make a mess/too much noise/annoy other customers and employees.

Alongside that group are the students, often ready to stuff anything edible into their faces because they’ve just spent ten hours on the trot at the library or have trudged back from late lectures, any intention of making a healthy meal out of the window as they comfort eat way too many French fries.

Last year, Erik could’ve sympathised with them, but now, after four months of working the register at this greasy joint, any meagre appetite he once had for burgers was well and truly decimated. Pizza, however, was a different ball-game entirely. Same goes for Chinese, Thai, Indian – basically anything not a Frankenstein creation of meat jammed between two sweaty buns.

“Maybe I should just stick to fries. Oh, but the cardiovascular risk! I mean at least a burger is protein, you know?”

Erik stared blankly at the strange man who had been struggling to decide for the past five minutes. It was Erik’s bad luck that there was only one other person in the queue, who had just gone to Marie on the till two stations down. That customer ordered a shake. That’s it. Simple. Done. But no, Erik’s guy just had to give a running commentary on how likely one was to die by eating one serving of mozzarella sticks. Though to be fair, they were pretty dire at this franchise.

“Um, hello?”

Erik re-focussed. “Have you decided yet, sir? May I recommend the Ultimate Texas Ranch Experience Meal, on limited offer up until the end of May. Comes with either cool mayo or barbecue sauce, bacon optional.” He reeled off, having repeated the same speech at least twenty times already that day.

“That sounds appealing, but not really my thing, you know?” He scrunched his nose and looked over the boards again.

Erik sighed theatrically. This seemed to startle the man, who looked behind himself sheepishly to check that he wasn’t holding up a queue. As it turned out, to Erik’s _delight_ , he was. A group of teenage girls had turned up, chattering amiably. The man faced Erik again and looked bashful, “Ah, sorry about that.”

That look made something funny happen in Erik’s brain. Something that had his subconscious go, _huh, what was that make it happen again I don’t know what it was but I think we liked it._

“That’s okay, sir. Please take your time.” Damn that mandatory customer relations training. No, don’t take your time, order, buy and leave so Erik’s shift could end.

The girls began to mutter. Erik glanced sideways. Marie was busy with another customer ordering a multi-box deal with sides. That would take time. The doors opened again and another few customers filtered in.

This man was _still_ deciding. Time to bring out the big guns. “Sir, if you would, there are other customers waiting to be served.”

He gave that bashful look again – _damn it why is that making Erik’s brain_ and _stomach do weird things why why-_ and hummed. “So sorry, not usually this scatter-brained, I assure you… Erik?”

Heavens almighty, he actually read the nametag, who does that?!

“Yes, sir, have you decided yet?” The ‘yet’ may have come out a little more testily than Mr Shaw would’ve liked. Whatever, he could take his minimum wage job and stick it up his-

“What would you suggest?”

Erik blinked, incredulous. “That wouldn’t happen because if I was hungry, never in my right mind would I ever even consider entertaining the mere _thought_ of stepping into a grease pit like this place.” He responded with increasing volume, suddenly breathless.

The man looked alarmed, bright eyes wide but mouth curling in amusement. “…Okay…?”

Erik froze. He hadn’t lost his rag like that in weeks. Further still, he hadn’t lost his rag like that _in front of Mr Shaw_. He was done for, he could tell from the way Shaw’s bushy eyebrows clumped together on his broad forehead, confused by the noise. He was so done. He needed this job, damn it, he was just stressed, he had an assignment to finish tonight and five lectures tomorrow and a swim meet he couldn’t skip and he still hasn’t called his Mother-

“I’ll take the fish burger, a side of coleslaw, two of those Texas meals, extra fries in both and a side of mozzarella sticks.” The man blurted out.

“…Huh?”

“And a sundae. Toffee.” He added on primly.

“Uhhh… sure, of course, right…” He tapped in the order robotically, sensing Shaw’s presence slipping away from the hubbub he caused, contented by the large order.

“That’ll be twenty-nine ninety-five.”

“Of course.”

He brought out a brown leather wallet and procured three ten dollar bills. Only then did Erik realise just how much food the guy bought. For one person, considering how long he stood there for… after deciding he _didn’t_ want any of those things… right after Erik had a mini meltdown.

Erik sure hoped he didn’t owe the guy his job. Oh wait, he probably did. _Shit_. He tried not to let it show on his face but he knew, the guy knew and most likely all six of the girls behind them knew. That’s probably why they were giggling. He begged his cheeks to remain calm and bloodless whilst he picked out five cents from the register. He dropped it into the man’s hand.

“Thanks for the stellar service, Erik,” he _winked_ and sidled over to the end of the counter for pick-up, looking too damn smug for his good.

 _Thanks for the stellar service, Erik_ , he mimicked childishly in his head, mouth curving around the words unconsciously.

He took the girls’ order, which was thankfully concise, but not free from those cursed giggles. He promptly forced Janos onto the till and escaped into the kitchens. But of course Azazel, and his warped sense of humour, thought it would be uproariously funny to get Erik to pipe out the sundae for the man’s order. He was inwardly pleased that he produced a perfectly piped sundae despite his gritted teeth and crushing grip. He stalked over to the pick-up counter and stuffed it into the bag as irately as one could with ice-cream.

“I hope you enjoy your meal.” He bit out.

“Thank you for that. But I would enjoy it more if you would come home to help me eat all this.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m pretty sure I helped you out back there but that was a handy coincidence if I’m honest…” he rubbed the back of his head, smiling.

“Handy coincidence?”

He peered up at Erik for a moment, running his tongue along his lower lip. “I wanted an opportunity to ask you out and here it is.” He gestured to the bags with a flourish.

Erik flushed wildly. “Who are you?” he threw out, eloquent as always.

The man raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Oh of course – Charles.”

“Charles…”

“Erik.” He countered, “Now, if the colleague of yours I spoke to was correct, your shift finishes in five minutes? I think you ought to pay me back by helping me get through all this grease. I’ll let you share my sundae after.” Charles wiggled his eyebrows.

Erik frowned at the frankly confusing innuendo. “’Share your sundae’?”

Charles pressed his lips together. “Look, are you going to come or not?”

Erik grinned evilly. “I don’t know, Charles, _am I?”_

It was Charles’ turn to blush. Erik plucked a fry from one of the bags and made an ‘O’ with his mouth before pushing it through and chewing. Charles watched him rapturously, eyes glinting. Erik licked the salt from his mouth and Charles could still taste it later that night, sucking Erik's lips languidly as he pushed him down on his couch, the sundae left to melt in its pot on the coffee table.

**Author's Note:**

> Nearly all my fics involve food. This is not a bad thing.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, let me know if you did :)


End file.
